Neighborhood Crime Watch | Miami Dade County

In Miami Dade County one of the most effective ways of reducing crime has come in the way of introducing crime watch neighborhoods. The familiar crime watch neighborhood signs are seen throughout the entire county but most Miami residents are not really aware of the benefits of having a crime watch community. And furthermore, most if not all Miami Dade county residents are unfamiliar with the process of having their neighborhood enroll in the neighborhood crime watch program. The remainder of this article is meant to clarify the benefits and process of becoming a neighborhood crime watch community.

Established years ago in an effort to reduce crime within the various neighborhoods across Miami Dade, the neighborhood crime watch program has been a huge success. The central point behind the program is based on the organized effort of the residents within the community to report any suspicious activity or crime event that takes place within the community.

Establishing a Neighborhood Crime Watch Community

In order to be formally considered a crime watch community several criteria must be met. The first step to even qualifying as an approved neighborhood crime watch community is to have the approval of the majority of the residents within the community itself. At least 80% of the residents within the neighborhood have to actually verbally agree to the program. Once the neighborhood is in agreement of going through with making their community a neighborhood crime watch community then a roster is created of all the residents within the community. This roster will contain email address and contact phone numbers of all residents involved in the crime watch. Once all the information is gathered then the next step is to elect block captains and chairperson to head the entire crime watch program.

Reporting Criminal Activity

One of the main methods of reducing crime within the neighborhood crime watch community is the reporting of any criminal activity that takes place within the community itself. It is the responsibility of every resident enrolled in the program to report to their block captain any criminal activity that they have been a victim of. So whether someone has a break in occur in their home or even something as small as someone stealing a bicycle from their yard, it gets reported to the block captain. The block captain then reports the criminal activity to the chairperson who in turn issues a mass email alert to everyone on the roster informing them of the actual criminal event that took place.This information is vitally important for a couple of reasons. First, it is important because it alerts the residents to be aware of what took place and when it took place. Secondly, it helps the residents to be at a high point of alert to look out for suspicious activity.

Neighbor Surveillance of Suspicious Activity

What makes the neighborhood crime watch program so successful is the awareness that is created within the residents to report any suspicious activity. When residents become aware of any criminal activity that has taken place within their community it puts them on high alert to look out for suspicious activity. Knowing that a break in took place at your neighbors house from 12 to 3pm last week certainly causes neighbors to look out for anything going on during those hours that looks suspicious. If vehicles are reported to have been broken into at hight in the neighborhood then that puts all residents on alert to get vehicle alarms and respond immediately if they go off. Having a regular report helps greatly in putting everyone on high alert to what has been happening in the neighborhood. The police response is also much better if the neighborhood has been declared a crime watch neighborhood. If suspicious vehicles are reported as sitting outside an empty house for a period of time, the police will quickly respond because they know this is a crime watch community.

Home Security Systems

An incorporation of having a crime watch neighborhood and a home security system helps reduce break ins and other crimes dramatically. When the community comes together to create a crime watch it helps build relationships within the community itself. There is no better response you can have than an actual neighbor. If you have a monitored home security system, no one can respond quicker to an alarm activation than your own neighbor. Having a crime watch community helps create these bonds within neighbors that helps each other in a occurrence such as an alarm activation.

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